Environment and finances
Based in our award-winning, state-of-the-art Lanarkshire campus, the Sport and Physical Activity Institute (SPARI) at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) is looking to appoint a PhD candidate to join its vibrant PhD community. The successful applicant will receive an annual stipend for three years and have their tuition fees paid. This project builds upon our ongoing work exploring 1) exercise and physical activity in older adults and 2) Mobile health (mHealth) approaches to measure and improve health outcomes.
Background and rationale for the project
Currently there is no evidence-based framework to guide the design, development, and deployment of mobile technology for older adults. Without a framework, apps will not consider older adults' experiences, needs or expectations, and not realise the potential of mobile technology to improve lives. Ironically, ~70% of people aged 60 years and over in the UK own a smartphone.
Sarcopenia is defined as a progressive and generalised loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength associated with ageing. Muscle-strengthening exercise appears the most promising intervention to attenuate sarcopenia. However, exercise guidelines are almost never met in older adults, with only 2% of over 70s achieving the recommended two sessions of muscle strengthening per week. Taken together, a) mobile apps are not designed with older adults in mind, and b) older adults do not habitually complete muscle strengthening exercise.
Project outline
The project will start with a systematic review of useability reports from prior studies. The review will inform a series of focus groups to understand where app design fails (or succeeds) when used by older adults. Finally, the project will develop a mobile app to test and promote muscle strength in older adults. The app will be tested for reliability and validity against a gold standard for measuring muscle strength, and then for acceptability and feasibility at delivering a training intervention. This work will culminate in a set of recommendations for app development in older adults, with a focus on health-related apps.
The candidate
The successful candidate will have enthusiasm for the area and possess a proactive approach to research. Applicants must have a 2:1 degree in a health science or computer science related area (e.g., Sport Science, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Nursing, Computer Science) at a minimum (a masters degree would be an advantage). The studentship is open to UK citizens, and EU applicants with pre-settled or settled status.
Career development
In addition to completion of this exciting project, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to develop competence in the following areas: systematic reviews, computer programming, research design, statistics, time management, presenting, teaching, assessing, and developing undergraduate teaching. These opportunities are with the aim of the successful candidate maximising their employability on completion of the PhD.
For more information or to discuss the project informally, please contact Dr Lawrence Hayes ([Email Address Removed]).
Application Deadline - 30/06/2023
Start Date - 01/10/2023
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